Marcia Dyson

A powerful reverend, astute businesswoman, and unrelenting social activist, Marcia L. Dyson has dedicated her life, ministry, and career to fighting gender inequality and oppression as well as economic and political inequity at the local, national, and international levels. She is one of America's most respected civil-social activists and is the president and CEO of M and M Dyson, LLC, an international consultant enterprise in matters of business development, marketing, political strategies, and social engagement.

A champion of women's rights around the globe for more than three decades, she is the founder and CEO of Women's Global Initiative, a for-profit organization that works to enhance the lives of women by increasing their wealth, education, and civil participation. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright selected her to be on the Women's Global Summit Leadership Board and Zainab Al-Suwaij, the president of the American Islamic Congress, invited her to join her in Cairo, Egypt, to work with Egyptian women on creating a modern narrative for Muslim women. Dyson co-hosted the First Ladies Global Summit in 2012 and is a member of the Middle East Peace Civic Forum - the goal of which is to create a civic participation and conversation between Israeli and Palestinians. She is also an annual participant at the Black Entertainment Television (BET)'s Leading Women Defined Summit.

Committed to helping rebuild Haiti, Dyson has worked as consultant to the Clinton Foundation on behalf of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission (IHRC) and as a volunteer with Partners in Health and Partners in Education. She is a board member of We Advance, an organization founded by Maria Bello and Alison Thompson that challenges domestic violence and other social injustices toward women in Haiti, as well as a member of Femmes en Démocratie, which aims to empower Haitian women to seek political participation.

Her Royal Highness Basmah bint Saud bin Abdel Aziz selected Dyson to be one of the Global United Lanterns, whose mission is to "push back the darkness and ignorance that prevents us from solving humanity's gravest problems." Dyson was also named the first chaplain for the Coalition of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit, charitable organization that provides global humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief support through a ship that sails around the globe.

Dyson was a contributor to Essence magazine and currently contributes to New Deal 2.0, The Grio, The Root, and The Huffington Post and has been a political commentator on MSNBC's Martin Bashir Show.

A spirited and stirring public speaker, Marcia Dyson has carried out a ministry of healing to wounded women, neglected children, and suffering men throughout America and around the globe. Her spiritual wisdom and insight has been shared in historic lecterns across America, on lecture stages at many of the nation's outstanding universities, and on the pages of some of our country's most provocative magazines and books.